O'Connor discusses how three new bills bring Fulton County seniors record exemption savings for 2026.

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, December 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As one of the hottest housing markets in the United States, Fulton County and the Atlanta area have both seen recent spikes in value. With a large influx of people moving to urban areas, the demand for housing is making it difficult for longtime residents to keep their homes amid changing neighborhood dynamics. This can be especially tricky for senior citizens, many of whom live on fixed incomes. How to keep seniors in their homes has been an increasing debate across the country, especially in areas with a history of working families or in communities with historically high minority populations.

Atlanta and Fulton County decided to address this in November, utilizing three ballot initiatives to help aid seniors. This trio of bills easily passed thanks to overwhelming public support. Each of these bills contributed to establishing stronger senior homestead exemptions for Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Public Schools. When everything was put together, Atlanta seniors landed one of the largest such tax cuts in the nation, which they will be able to use starting in 2026.

Atlanta Act 58, Senate Bill 330

Exclusively for seniors in the city of Atlanta itself, this bill secured all seniors over the age of 65 a $50,000 reduction in taxable value for taxes that contributed to Atlanta Public Schools. This improved upon a previous exemption that only allowed seniors to deduct $25,000 if they met strict income requirements. The new bill did away with those requirements, adding thousands of new households to the exemption. If property owners qualify for this new exemption, then they can expect to save on average about $1,000 every year. This is applied on top of the standard homestead exemption that everyone gets. School taxes are the largest type of property tax in Atlanta, so this should grant significant relief.

House Bill 777

This bill and its partner are for Fulton County seniors outside of Atlanta itself. HB 777 established a senior homestead exemption of 25% of the home’s total value, reducing taxable value for Fulton County Schools significantly. Depending on the value of the home, this could be an even larger cut than the savings available to seniors within Atlanta. To qualify, owners must be over 65 and have maintained a standard homestead exemption for their home for five of the past six years. This new reduction combines with the standard exemption.

House Bill 776

This bill improves upon HB 777 by granting even larger savings for certain seniors. If the owner is over 70 years old and have maintained a homestead exemption for five of the last six years, they are eligible for the biggest cut available. 50% of your home’s taxable value is exempted from Fulton County School taxes. With the rapidly rising cost of housing in Fulton County, the savings from this bill can be truly massive. This is one of the more generous senior breaks in the United States and shows Fulton County’s commitment to its oldest and most established homeowners.

All Three Bills Take Effect on January 1, 2026

For seniors in the Atlanta area, they will not have to wait long to take advantage of these new bills. As soon as the new year begins, they can apply for the applicable exemption. Each was quickly implemented after ratification, ensuring that savings can begin immediately. No matter the type, homestead exemptions do have a filing deadline of April 1, 2026, so that is a date to keep in mind. Once owners are signed up, these exemptions are automatically renewed every year.

Property Tax Appeals Can Enhance These Exemptions

While seniors were certainly handed a bounty with these cuts, they can be improved upon to even greater heights. Property tax appeals allow owners to drop their taxable value even further, by demonstrating their home is overvalued. Exemptions and appeals work fantastically in tandem, as one easily bolsters the other. Georgia also has a property tax freeze law, which offers one of the most significant advantages for property owners who appeal. If owners can successfully lower their taxable value with appeals, it will stay at the new number for three years. With Atlanta homes spiking by the year, this opens the door for some of the largest savings possible in the entire nation. Paying 2026 values in 2029 could easily save owners hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year.

About O'Connor:
O’Connor is one of the largest property tax consulting firms, representing 185,000 clients in 49 states and Canada, handling about 295,000 protests in 2024, with residential property tax reduction services in Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and New York. O’Connor’s possesses the resources and market expertise in the areas of property tax, cost segregation, commercial and residential real estate appraisals. The firm was founded in 1974 and employs a team of 1,000 worldwide. O’Connor’s core focus is enriching the lives of property owners through cost effective tax reduction.

Property owners interested in assistance appealing their assessment can enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program ™. There is no upfront fee, or any fee unless we reduce your property taxes, and easy online enrollment only takes 2 to 3 minutes.

Patrick O'Connor, President
O'Connor
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